In 2021 K.L. Walther published The Summer of Broken Rules. The romance book has an average rating of 3.9/5 with 245,666 total ratings.
I read this book in the summer of 2023 and I still think about it now. The only reason why I bought this book was because I saw a TikTok about it, and it being on sale at Barnes & Noble.
Where to buy the book
While this book is free on Kindle Unlimited it is also at other retailers. It is $6.65 at Amazon and $10.99 at Barnes & Noble. Kindle Unlimited is a subscription you can buy for $11.99 per month with a Kindle or the Kindle app on your device. With the purchase of a Kindle, you can get a five-month free trial.
Synopsis
This book is about Meridith going to her sister’s wedding at Martha’s Vineyard. Meridith’s boyfriend dumps her two weeks before the wedding, leaving her dateless.
This is not a normal wedding. The week of the wedding there will be an annual game of assassin, but with many more players. Her mission may be difficult due to her target being a cute groomsman.
While this book is a romance it is fun and exciting with the game of assassin, there are mysteries, not knowing who has who with the challenge of not being assassinated. During this game of assassin could Meridith also play the game of love?
Age rating
I would give this book an age rating of 12+. While this book is a romance book, it is also a young adult book so nothing inappropriate is talked about. On Common Sense Media the book is rated 14+. The rating is due to language and implied sex.
Taylor Swift
This book has many Taylor Swift references and as a swifite that made me love the book even more. Although there were many references it did not seem forced or overpowered.
There were many positive reviews about the references on Goodreads. “The amount of Taylor Swift references made me so happy.” “I love all the Taylor Swift references.” “I annotated this while I read it & I dedicated a whole tab color just to the Taylor Swift references.”
While there is much positive feedback for the references there is also negative. “You had me with the synopsis by mentioning the queen herself Taylor Swift but I didn’t feel the ‘…can’t help it if I wanna kiss you in the rain’. Sorry but no.” “Why is it mentioned IN EVERY CHAPTER that Claire was a Taylor Swift fan? like who cares?” “Too many Taylor Swift references for my liking.”
Reviews
On Goodreads, there are 73,734 five-star reviews and 3,277 one-star reviews. Anna posted a five-star review on Goodreads. “This is the book that made me fall in love with K. L. Walther’s writing. She has since been an auto-buy author for me! I read this book 3 years ago and I’ve reread it every year since then. this book is so nostalgic for me i don’t think I’ll ever rate it anything less than a 5 stars.”
Addie wrote a one-star review on Goodreads. “I was hoping for a book about dealing with grief and moving on but all I got was a sloppy summer romance littered with Taylor Swift references and one of the most insufferable, self-absorbed main characters ever”
I rated this book five stars. This is one of my favorite books and I always think about it.
Interview
Mariella Spina, a junior at Colonia High School, read this book in the summer of 2023. “The book was definitely five stars for me.” She thought that the Taylor Swift references were cute and subtle. The book was purchased at Target, which retails for $6.55. “I liked how it was young adult and age-appropriate.”
